Many styles is waiting!!!

Over the last few weeks, for some reason, we found that there's been an explosion of bad capsule machines in the streets and I just thought I would share some of them with you, because if they make you laugh as hard as they made me, you're in for a much brighter day!

First of all, what a freakin' great idea!  A monster, but not just any monster without constrains or a mode of display, but a Monster In The Case, like a deer head on the wall!  I loved this idea so much I almost succumbed to it and bought it. 

The orange and blue creatures that look like mice with batlike ears spelt nothing but awesome to me.

Also awesome, the inscriptions:  "Many styles is waiting for you!" and "The case is available to assembly randomise by you self!"  I don't know about you, but there is nothing I love to do more than "assembly randomise"!  Sweet!

The next three were found literally, in a row.  You know what they say: it never rains but it pours!

So apparently this is some kind of message bracelet in which... the guy wears the bracelet with the message on it, but is not supposed to know what the girl has transmitted?  I don't know, but that's the idea I got from the two chicks in the top right corner, conversation vis:

Chick in faux shock: "So... he know?!"  (punctuation is literally that on the machine!)

Chick whispering faux sexily: "I have gave him the MESSAGE BRACELET."

Honey, if you ask me, the dude looks way too sleazy for you to have gave him the MESSAGE BRACELET, all right?

The most amusing part of this exchange is that I can't tell which side of it happened first.  And that the message right at the top warns: MAY CONTAIN OTHER PRODUCTS.

Also, why would you want to send someone a secret message spelling "Nike" or "Abode"?!

There is no message on this one.  Except that the machine is selling lacy UNDERWEAR off what looks like a Cabbage Patch Kid hooker and teaching your children how to be skanks. 

Can we all wrap our heads around that for one minute?  Yeah, didn't think so.

This is the one that finally wrested our hard earned money away from us because hello, a dopey Japanese plant head, which is also a finger puppet and a cell phone screen cleaner all in one?

I know right?  Totally worth it.

Mandigan madness

Dhany had been on the quest for a Mandigan, or a cardigan for men for a long time, but was unsure of whether he could pull it off.  With the Mandigan, the line between looking like a stoop-shouldered relic of yesteryear and a fashionable example of manliness is very fine indeed.

We spotted this mandigan a couple of weeks ago in Muji and he decided to give it a try (also it was on 50 per cent of or something like that, so it was worthwhile having a bash). 

Maybe it's just a personal opinion, but I think he has the kind of body-type to carry it off well and one bonus is that compared to a blazer or hoodie, it's softer and lighter, perfect for the tropics.  (As Jamie said, "Very GQ.")

I also like the rawness to the hems and seams, it creates more interest than if the cardigan were perfectly finished.

Finished off perfectly with suave grey pants, forest green shoes and a simple white shirt. 

If you're the kind of guy with a slim sort of build and shoulders that are not too over-powering, odds are the mandigan will work for you.  You can wear it with a slouchy shirt as in here, or a more structured collared shirt for a more preppy look.  And sharp pants and cool shoes will keep it from being overly fey or too sloppy.

In other news, I have serious complaints to make against neighbourhood capsule machines.  We found this one that claimed to have Mighty Beanz (series 3, no less) and with some skepticism, decided to give it a try.

Well, blow me down.  The beans, after being extracted from the capsule, just lay there like dead grubs.  What the hell, heartland capsule machine? 

The Chinese words claim that the beans jump like magic, but a little shaking showed that magnets in the beans would make them twitch slightly when the equal poles were matched and that was all.

The picture should be a good enough idea - that's all they did, one occasionally standing on its end and the other lying perfectly still. 

I'm getting increasingly disillusioned with these dirty yellow machines!  Gone are the days when they provided electric buzzers to give people nasty shocks or fake moustaches (in handlebar, blond, brunette and even salt and pepper) with glue that made your upper lip itch and tasted like melting plastic.

Ben 10 and beans that just lie there?!  I have a good mind to start boycotting them and saving up for more worthy causes.

I really want to support the capsule machine industry, but it looks like I may have to wait for the Toy, Game and Comic Convention where the imported capsules cost $3 a pop, but I can at least get a stuffed llama that blushes with a flower behind its ear. 

Randomosity

So um, it's not like I'm trying to inflict a photodump on you, but um.... yeah, I guess I am.  I had a bunch of random things which I thought were cute, but didn't actually fit into any category.

Kim learnt about my capsule machine obsession and bought me this.  Look what it opens into!  I couldn't understand the Japanese on the sheet that came in the capsule, but since it has little pineapples on it, I'm guessing it's Hawaiian.  Cute!

Also on the topic of capsule machines, I came across one that totally cracked me up.

These Lucky themed ones are just killing me.

I love how the special style is basically one of those segmented candy dishes that everyone and their dog brings out at Chinese New Year.

But the real killer is this bit:  How is the symbol for "benefit" a Koi Fish?!  Do we even eat Koi at New Year?  (Okay, sorry about going all Benjamin Franklin on the capital letters there.)  Also, as Dhany pointed out, what does "Benefit" even mean?  Aren't good health, peace and careers all "Benefits"?  And why, of all things green and good, is the symbol for Peace an Old Chang Kee curry puff?


All the secrets of the universe we will never know...

Wan Gek, an ex-intern turned full-fleged reporter, alias rapper name Dubya G, also stopped by with snacks!

And a super cute outfit.  I like how this is cute and chic, but major reporter-practical.  We run around all day every day to highly unexpected places and it's hard to dress up for work every day when you don't know where you're going to end up.

At one point, I actually started just throwing on cargo pants and sloppy shirts to work (I still do some days) because it was so much easier.  But this combination is comfortable and flattering.  I believe the top is from Cotton On and the skirt is from Bysi.  (Unless it's the other way around, in which case, sorry!)

Also, is anyone else digging the Snooki hair?

Finally, my mother found out about my love of all things Domo and brought the following DVD home for me to watch:

Look how she posed it with the Domo on my bed and the bat, also hanging on my bedrails?  My mother is hilarious.

The liner notes on the back have a picture of Domo popping out of an egg and the names of episodes like "Domo and TV"  "Rock 'n' Domo" and "A Date on a Boat."

I can't wait!

The worst capsule machine ever

The other day, I was really excited to see this: a capsule machine with a wand that promised a magical erection.

I mean, look, you guys, "it can change from short to long"!  Nisha pointed out that there are other things that will do that for me, but the way I see it, none of them come in a plastic capsule.

I paid the requisite $1, pocketed the (extremely grubby) capsule, and waited for Dhany to open it with me. 

We finally got our moment on the roof, and I held my breath as he twisted the plastic bubble open. 

Alas, I'd been cheated!  Inside was a wrinkled "Ben 10" packet, containing a strange rubber mutant the colour of vomit and with what looked like a bad case of psoriasis.  It had been doubled over and stuffed into the capsule for so long that it's back had split and warped and on top of everything, it stank and left Dhany's fingers smelling like puke-covered rubber. 

Well, colour me just thrilled.

I don't know what Ben 10 is, but in my understanding, it was one of the top Christmas toys of 2008 and apparently kids everywhere are crazy about it, which, if this capsule is anything to go by, they all have an IQ of an eggplant.

Wikipedia also says, "When ten year old Ben Tennyson, his cousin Gwen, and their grandfather Max are on their summer camping trip, Ben finds an alien pod on the ground. When he examines it, he finds a mysterious, watch-like device called the Omnitrix. The device attaches itself permanently to his wrist and gives him the ability to transform into a variety of alien life-forms, each with its own unique powers."

And just shortly below that thrilling plot summary, the page moderator has left the mysterious afterthought: "He is a duck" followed by nothing.

Well, ok then.

All I have to say about that severe disappointment is that I want my money back and I'm not going to rest until I find an actual wand that can produce erections.

In the meantime, if any of you have any eggplant-IQed nephews or neices who might like a smelly booger-coloured mutant, you know where to find me.

This just in

When Beck was in Singapore recently, we went shopping at Plaza Singapura where I found an interesting store called T Box.  They sell stuff like guys underwear and bandanas and stuff, but what really caught my eye was these head wraps sold on sticks like lollipops.

Apparently, these things, from Turkey, are called Taksanas.  What I really liked about them, compared to other head-scarfy things I've worn before, is that they have raggedy braids on the end, giving them a much more raw look.

Also, because the headwraps and bandanas all cost exactly $9.99, they actually put a Euro penny in the packaging as change and a souvenir!  What a cool gimmick!  I'm so into them, I may name my first child Taksana! 

Taksana - T Box.  Necklace - Made by mother.

Heather Grey Dress - The Station.  Convertible shawl/ Cape - Giordano.

I wore mine on the weekend with my favourite grey dress, shawl and a really cool semi-precious stone necklace my mother made.

Suede shoes - Vans. Grey pants - Insight.

Crazily-lined jacket - Volcom.  White shirt - Sifr.

Dhany wore his new suede shoes from Perth and howled at the rainy sky.


We both got badly caught in the rain later on and got soaked through, but I think the shoes made it through.


In other (more exciting) news, we finally made it back to the Tiger Year Fragrance Fan capsule machine!  You're supposed to attach one of these to your car aircon and it blows fragrance at you.

Umm yeah.  "Fragrance" being a very loosely used word.  It smelled more like a metallic, mothbally toilet freshener.

At least we got the "Super Mario" looking guy I had hoped for.  Usually, with capsule machines, you never get what you want the first time, which is both frustrating and money wasting.

So my technique with these machines is usually to shake them three times, murmur "the luck of the irish, the luck of the irish" repeatedly, and turn the dial while jiggling the machine slightly, because it worked that one time and I got the tiny capsule machine set of a protractor and a set square.

Yeah, maybe I got that Taksana tied on too tight.

_______________________________

 Other ways I've worn this dress:  

Something to die for

With Ooit!

According to the MRT train I was on today, City Square Mall is “bursting with excitement”. Well, it seems to me Mustafa was just plain bursting, and it was more thrilling anyway.

Diana snuck around the aisles (in a cute outfit of embellished dress, purple tights and Converse sneakers cut for girls) like the pink panther on Tuesday, picking up DVDs full of song and dancing while I gave running commentary in an exaggerated Indian accent. “Gad, I’m glad Amitabh grew a beard, yaar?”

Fail: Mustafa’s cataloguing system. It’s bad enough that I found I’ll ALWAYS Know What You Did Last Summer under ‘A’ the last time, but who knew they had a whole section of music by emotion? I really need a copy of the Super Hit: Angry Enough To Stab My Boss album.

Also fail: Mohan’s hair. Your hits may be evergreen but, my Indian Brother from another mother, that coif is not.

I don’t know if you care, but these Scandinavian M&Ms come with Ooit.

Silk top - Marks and Spencers. Cutout booties - Lilly.
Grey flared pants - Uniqlo. Earrings - Accessorize.

These awesome grey faux suede cutout booties were actually bought right off a mannequin. I saw them on a display in Isetan and begged the saleslady for them. They only came in one size, which happened to fit me perfectly. Ah, karma. I must’ve done something good.

Dudeness shirt - Online. Denim shorts - Online (I wish I could remember from where!!!)

Shoes - PF Flyers. Hat - Goorin Brothers. Watch - Nooka.

On Monday, after watching Shutter Island (which I’ve realised is pretty much Memento filmed forward but not as great), we found the best capsule machine ever.

Studying the pictures on the front, we took turns to guess what it would be. Dhany guessed fish stickers, and I reckoned a dinky little fishing lure.

Delightfully wrong! It turned out to be a photorealistic blow up fish all rolled up and stuffed into the little plastic bauble.

And so, with a few strong heaves from Dhany, we welcomed Ikan Henry into this world. He weighs 12grams approximately, my biggest catch ever.

That is pretty much it.

Oh, and I really AM glad Amitabh grew a beard.

Tiger Year Lucky String!

I seldom say it to her face, but my mother is a wonder woman. Friends who’ve met her will know that she’s one of the coolest moms around and like most women, she balances everything in her life effortlessly.

Her life during the day is busy and stressful, so at night, when things have calmed down, she sits down with a glass of wine and drunkenly makes some of the coolest jewellery ever.

Hah, I kid! Not drunkenly. Not noticeably drunkenly anyway.

I admit that sometimes, her designs, comprising semi-precious stones and metals can look a bit um... Betty White as opposed to Angelina Jolie ... but when she gets it right, she really nails it.



She made these bracelets specially for me, with stones I brought back for her from Bangkok.



This necklace is one of my favourite things she has made. I’d say it would look at home on a rack at Topshop or Forever 21.

Shirt - Dhany's old shirt, I believe from Island Shop.
Leggings - Cotton On. Necklace and Bracelets - My hawt Mama.
Delighted and faraway expression - Learned during O level Math lessons.

Dhany, ever supportive and helpful, allowed me to jump foolishly up and down on his bed while he took these photos. How cool is his red wall?! I don’t think I’ve ever met a more patient or kind man, but you didn’t hear it from me.







I put a black leather rose Margaret gave me on the handle of my tote – I really love how it makes everything pop and pulls the whole look together.

On my way home from work, I came across one of these wonderful capsule machines. I frequently buy useless stuff from capsule machines because it makes me laugh so hard and this is no exception. I bought one of the stripey egg-shaped containers from this tiger machine and will wait till tomorrow for The D to open it and see which one he got.



I wish I had taken the bottom panel on how to assemble the tigers piece by piece.

It’s hilarious how each one has a different face depending on what it’s supposed to symbolise, particularly "for wealthy" and "for lucky". If that’s how one looks when they finally get lucky, I think I’ll just keep things as they are, thank you very much.

However, I have to say, the kitteh with the fiercely gripped red packet? For the amount we get come payday, you honestly can’t blame us for getting THAT look down.